HIPAA is an acronym that is used to define the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. HIPAA aims to do several different things. These things include providing the ability to transfer and continue health insurance when people change or lose their jobs, reduces health care fraud, mandate an industry-wide standard for health care information on electronic billing, and require the confidential handling of protected health information. According to HIPAA, a patient's health information is considered private. Before a patient’s health information can be released to anyone, the patient must give written authorization. Authorization and consent are often used interchangeably. However, they are two different things when it comes
US Congress created the Hipaa bill in 1996 because of public concern of how their private information was being used. It is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which Congress created to protect confidentiality, privacy and security of patient information. It was also for health care documents to be passed electronically. Hipaa is a privacy rule, which gives patients control over their health information. Patients have to give permission any healthcare provider can disclose any information placed in the individual’s medical records. It helps limit protected health information (PHI) to minimize the chance of inappropriate disclosure. It establishes national-level standards that healthcare providers must comply with and strictly investigates compliance related issues while holding violators to civil or criminal penalties if they violate the privacy of a person’s PHI. Hipaa also has boundaries for using and disclosing health records by covered entities; a healthcare provider, health plan, and healthcare clearinghouse. It also supports the cause of disclosing PHI without a person’s consent for individual healthcare needs, public benefit and national interests. The portability part of Hipaa guarantees patients health insurance to employees after losing a job, making sure health insurance providers can’t discriminate against people because of health status or pre-existing condition, and keeps their files safe while being sent electronically. The Privacy
. HIPAA privacy rules are complicated and extensive, and set forth guidelines to be followed by health care providers and other covered entities such as insurance carriers and by consumers. HIPAA is very specific in its requirements regarding the release of information, but is not as specific when it comes to the manner in which training and policies are developed and delivered within the health care industry. This paper will discuss how HIPAA affects a patient's access to their medical records, how and under what circumstances personal health information can be released to other entities for purposes
Consent and authorization are treated differently when it comes to the privacy rule. Consent gives doctors who directly care for the patient permission to use and disclose protected health information (PHI), for the purposes of treating the patient. Authorization on the other hand, is more specific to the procedure or treatment being performed at the time and has an expiration date. An authorization is needed to disclose PHI to employers for employment decisions or to insurance companies to determine eligibility for life insurance. So, giving consent for treatment does not give a health care entity permission to disclose PHI to unauthorized third parties.
The main goal of HIPAA is to protect unauthorized access and misuse of confidential health information. It allows for the safe storage of any health facts used, collected, transmitted or maintained by any health organization. It states that all health information about a particular client is completely confidential, regardless of what the format is and whether it is transmitted, maintained or collected. Protected information is that health information that already identifies the patient or could be used in order to identify the patient; it also relates to any of the patient’s past, present or future health conditions, any treatment the patient receives and any payment the patient makes toward their care.
HIPAA as we have all learned by now stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA mandates providers and contractors to use approved standardized code sets so as to ensure the ebb and flow of our health care system can continue to improve and become more efficient. Let's look at it another way. You have hundreds of thousands of medical facilities all coding their bills. Imagine if they all did things differently and all used different code sets how much harder it would be for insurance companies to pay out in a timely manner.
In 1996, the HIPPA act was passed. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was directed to improve the areas in the health field. For instance, lowering the number of errors and mistreatment, for individuals to have the access to transfer health coverage according to their present situation, and most importantly it monitors security and confidentiality information to ensure its being controlled in an accurate manner. This act gives congress ability to govern financial matter such as, federal level funding processes pertaining to different health documentation. Providing quality care while protecting patient’s information is a priority controlled under HIPAA, which accepts collaboration with all state and federal
HIPAA, short for The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a privacy act that helps protect your health information. It was created to assure that individuals’ health information is protected safely and securely by allowing the right to protect the release of personal information to unauthorized individuals or organizations. It is important to know what your rights are, know when they have been violated and what you can do, know what the civil and criminal penalties for disclosure are, and know why HIPAA is important. ADD MORE
Specific Purpose: I want to inform my audience about HIPAA “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act”.
Did you know that violating HIPAA can lead to criminal charges and even possible jail time? Also can cost you up to $1.5 million a year depending on the violation (Brown,2014). Violating HIPAA can be something as little as talking about the treatment of your patient that day to another nurse in the elevator. In this paper HIPAA will be defined and the importance of HIPAA in the health care system. As well as outcomes of what will happen if laws are violated. In addition, the scenario ending and what should happen to the nurse. Lastly, the advantages and disadvantages of cellphones and electronic devices in healthcare.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996 to set a national standard to protect medical records and other personal health information. The primary goal of HIPAA is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information and help the healthcare industry control administrative cost.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was created to protect the personal and medical information of a patient obtaining medical treatment. HIPAA came into effect in 1996 and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, after approval by congress. The HIPAA covers personal information such as name, date of birth, address, etc. Results of tests, diagnosis and treatments for ailments are also covered under HIPAA. A persons protected health information can be divulged if express permission is given by the person that the protected information pertains to. There are exceptions for permission to divulge information which can include an investigation of a crime, suspected cases of child abuse or other law enforcement purposes as required by law. Protected health information (PHI) can be disclosed in aiding treatment or payment for a service. Title II of the health insurance portability and accountability (HIPAA) establishes the rules of compliance for electronic processing of transmissions, disclosure of PHI ( Protected Health Information), or the
This paper will be discussing on how HIPAA has changed the medical field. HIPAA also known as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, give examples on how it is applied to the clinical setting. This paper will discuss steps medical assistants take when applying HIPAA and how it protects patients and physicians.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA is a statute endorsed by the U.S. Congress in 1996. It offers protections for many American workers which improves portability and continuity of health insurance coverage. The seven titles of the final law are Title I - Health care Access , Portability, Title II - Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; administrative simplification; Medical Liability Reform; Title III – Tax-related Health Provisions; Title IV – Application and
One of the huge issues at the time of conception was the transition to electronic means of storage and transfer. At the time this technology was new, and not widely used as it is today. However with the implementation of HIPAA, it helped create a sense of trust and security that was not present before. By creating procedures to follow when storing and transferring information electronically, it educated many on how patient information was really being handled. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that HIPAA helped the adoption of electronic prescribing among physicians and other clinicians, overall adoption rates increasing from 5% to 18% (HIPAA: Impact). Essentially it helped usher in a new age of technology and assisted in its assimilation into the health industry, which provides far more convenience and utility than previous methods.
In the context of HIPAA, there are a few differences between the term consent and authorization. There are a few different meanings of the term consent in the medical field and it is important for a healthcare practice to understand the different meanings of the term consent (Gartee, 2011). An informed consent is signed by a patient when they have been provided enough information about the medical treatment that is being suggested and they feel comfortable enough to agree to participate in the medical procedure. A medical practice must obtain patient consent before proceeding with a medical procedure. Consent under the HIPAA Privacy Rule is concerned with what the patient information will be used for at that healthcare facility and is not consent